Light-distributing device.



D. CROWNFIELD.

LIGHT DISTRIBUTING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 3. I916.

1,19,]. Patented Sept. 5,1916.

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DAVID CROWNFIELD, QF CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS.

LIGHT-DISTRIBUTIN G DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 5, 19116.

Application filed March 3, 1916. Serial No. 81,774.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DAVID CRowNrInLo, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Cambridge, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements in Light- Distributing Devices, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to light distributing devices, and particularly to light distributing wall fixtures for use in motion picture theaters and similar auditoriums, where it is necessary to light the aisles so that people going and coming during the performance may safely find their way to and from their seats, and where it is also necessary or desirable to maintain a sufiicient general diifusion of light of low intensity to avoid complete darkness in the house, while at the same time preventing extraneous rays of light from falling upon the illuminated picture screen, or upon the audience, or upon the wall to which the fixture is secured. To this end my fixture is so constructed that the rays from one of its two light sources are projected upward for a general diffusion of dim light throughout the house, but are screened or substantially screened in the lower and horizontal zones thus preventing the light from falling upon the audience or the stage; andthe rays from the other light source are screened or substantially screened in the upper and horizontal zones but are projected in a relatively concentrated area, over the aisle, below the fixture. Reflectors are so arranged for both light sources that neither direct nor reflected rays fall upon the wall. to which the fixture is attached, or the rays strike the wall at such an acute angle that no glare on the wall results. These and other features will hereinafter be more fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings which illustrate one embodiment of the invention,-Figure 1 is a plan view of a fixture containing the invention, designed for a motion picture theater; Fig. 2 is a vertical section on line 2-2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a front elevation of said fixture; and Fig. A is a vertical section online t-A of Fig. 3 on an enlarged scale, of the downwardly projecting member.

A represents an opaque, or substantially opaque, light container, which is preferably in the form of a half bowl, secured to the wall W. A light source L, such as an incandescent electric lamp, is mounted within the container A upon a suitable bracket 6, and is connected in any suitable way with electric conductors in the wall. The container A is open or translucent at the top and thus permits the light to emerge from the fixture in an upper zone above the fixture, while screening the rays in the lower and horizontal zones. A light reflector B is arranged within the container A, adapted to project the rays upward and outward, and the rear reflector surface B is forwardly inclined so as substantially to screen the adjacent parts of the wall W above the fixture from the rays, and project the rays forward away from the wall. The top of the container A may be covered bya glass dust cover C if desired.

A second opaque, or substantially opaque, light container D, in the form of a bell-like shade, open at its lower end, is suspended from the front of the container A, by means of a hook c and ring 7, the latter having a bore 7" for the electric wires, and a nipple f at its lower end for attachment to the socket l of-lamp L. The throat of the container D, instead of encircling the lamp socket b as is usual, is secured to the nipple f and the container D wholly incloses the lamp and lamp socket. The inner surface of the container D is gilded, metallized or otherwise treated to give it reflecting properties, or it may be provided with a separate reflector. Preferably the lower part of the inner surface of container D is plain and coated with light reflecting material excepting an area 9' at the front side of the container, which is coated with light absorbing or non-reflecting material to prevent the rearward reflection of light therefrom against the wall. The upper part of the inner surface of container D is made with annular corrugations d the lower surfaces of which reflect the rays downward, strongly concentrating the light in a small area, as upon an aisle below the fixture, while the rays are screened in the upper and horizontal zones above the fixture. The rear reflecting wall of the container D has the forwardly inclined surface cl=adapted to reflect the rays forwardly away from the wall and substantially to screen adjacent parts of the wall below the fixture from the rays, thus avoiding any glare on the wall. The inclined surface B, and the inclined bination, a light container, open at the top surface d, constitute asymmetrical reflectors which project the beams obliquely with elation to the geometrical axes of the light containers, preventing any strong beam from falling directly on the wall near the fixture.

While I have, shown the invention as embodied in a wall fixture, it is not necessarily limited to that use, but certain of the ad- VrlIllZilQBS of the invention could be secured by using the device suspended as a chandelier, or supported on a post, in which case the light container A would be in the form of a complete bowl instead of a half bowl, and one or more light containers D could be connected thereto.

In certain situations the container D may be used alone as an individual fixture, and in certain situations the container D, whether used alone or in combination with the container A, may be made symmetrical instead of asymmetrical at it lower part and may be made without the light absorbing surface 9-, while still preserving some of the advantages of the invention. It will also be understood that the plurality of downwardly reflecting surfaces in the upper part of the shade D might be of other forms than the annular corrugations 0? shown.

I claim:

1. In a light distributing fixture, in comonly, adapted to screen the rays of light in the lower and horizontal zones, and an opaque light container open at the bottom, adapted to screen the rays of light in the upper and horizontal zones, the former container having upwardly reflecting surfaces and the latter having downwardly reflecting surfaces, and independent light sources in each container 'mutually screened from each other, whereby light may be distributed to either the upper zone or the lower zone independently of the other, or to both zones at the same time.

2. In a light distributing fixture, in combination, a light container comprising a bowl open at the top only and adapted to screen the rays of light in the lower and horizontal zones, and a light container connected to said bowl container comprising an opaque bell-like shade open at the bottom and adapted to screen the rays of light in the upper and horizontal zones, the former container having upwardly reflecting surfaces and the latter having downwardly reflecting surfaces, and an independent light source in each container.

3. In a light distributing wall fixture, in combination, a light container comprising a half bowl open at the top and adapted to screen the rays of light in the lower and horizontal zones, and a light container connected to the half bowl container comprising a bell-like shade open at the bottom and adapted to screen the rays of light in the upper and horizontal zones, the former container having upwardly reflecting surfaces the latter having downwardly reflecting surfaces, and a light source in each container.

4:. In a light distributing wall fixture, in combination, a light container comprising a half bowl open at the top and adapted to screen the rays of light in the lower and horizontal zones, and a light container connected to the half bowl container comprising a bell-like shade open at the bottom and adapted to screen the rays of light in the upper and horizontal zones, the former container having upwardly and forwardly reflecting surfaces adapted substantially to screen adjacent parts of the wall above the fixture from the rays, and the latter container having downwardly and forwardly reflecting surfaces adapted substantially to screen adjacent parts of the wall below the fixture from the rays, and a light source in each container.

5. In a light distributing wall fixture, in combination, a light container comprising a half bowl open at the top and adapted to screen the rays of light in the lower and horizontal zones, and a light container connected to the half bowl container comprising a bell-like shade open at the bottom and adapted to screen the rays of light in the upper and horizontal zones, the former container having upwardly and forwardly re flecting surfaces including a forwardly inclined rear reflector adapted substantially to screen adjacent parts of the wall above the fixture from the rays, and the latter container having downwardly and forwardly reflecting surfaces including a forwardly inclined rear reflector adapted substantially to screen adjacent parts of the wall below the fixture from the rays, and a light source in each container.

6. In a light distributing wall fixture, in combination, a light container comprising a half bowl open at the top and adapted to screen the rays of light in the lower and horizontal zones, and a light container connected to the half bowl container comprising a bell-like shade open at the bottom and adapted to screen the rays of light in the upper and horizontal zones, the former container having upwardly and forwardly reflecting surfaces adapted substantially to screen adjacent parts of the wall above the fixture from the rays, and the latter container having downwardly and forwardly reflecting surfaces adapted substantially to screen adjacent parts of the wall below the fixture from the rays, and a light source in each container, the front inner side of said bell-like container being provided with a light absorbing area to prevent the rearward reflection of light therefrom.

7. In a light fixture, a light container adapted to project light in a limited downward zone comprising an opaque bell-like shade open at the bottom, a light source in said shade, and annular reflecting corrugations on the interior side walls of said shade above the plane of the light source, the under slopes of which are adapted to reflect rays from the light source downwardly and the upper slopes of which are shielded from the light source whereby the light which is radiated upwardly from the source is reflected downwardly from the corrugations along the axis of the fixture.

8. In a light fixture, a light container adapted to project light in a limited downward zone comprising an opaque bell-like shade open at the bottom, a light source in said shade, and a plurality of projections on the interior side walls of said shade above the plane of the light source, the under slopes of said projections being adapted to reflect rays from the light source downwardly and the upper slopes of said proj ections being shielded from the light source whereby the light which is radiated upwardly from the source is reflected downwardly from the projections along the axis of the fixture.

9. A light fixture comprising an opaque bell-like shade, and a light source within said shade, said bell-like shade having an interior reflecting surface the body of which excepting near the mouth is symmetrical with relation to the light source, and the part of which near the mouth of the shade has an asymmetrical contour to project incident rays obliquely to the direction of the beam projected by the symmetrical surface.

Signed by me at Boston, Massachusetts, this 23rd day of February, 1916.

DAVJLD CROWVNFIELD.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of ratents, Washington, D. G. 

